Asbestos is extremely toxic.
Two years later, mining started in the nearby Yampire Gorge.
Asbestos was also used in tanks, planes, helmets and to make filters for ironically gas masks.
Even before the war, asbestos use was widespread.
Unfortunately for CSR, the company struggled to make profit.
By the time the mine closed, the company had an accumulated debt of around $2.5 million.
Blue asbestos from Wittenoom.
Photo credit:Edgar Vonk/Flickr
The town of Wittenoom was built in 1947, ten kilometers from the mine.
At its peak, some 20,000 people consisting of workers and their families lived there.
But the Health Department did not have the authority to order CSR to close down the mine.
The first mesothelioma case was diagnosed in 1962.
In 2006, the government turned off the power grid to Wittenoom.
But not everyone was ready to move out.
As of 2015, three people still live in Wittenoom.
Peter Heyward, on the other hand, simply likes the silent stillness of the surroundings.
The hills, the plains, the openness, the quiet.
I love the country," he said.
Yampire Gorge Mine Engine 1978.
Photo credit:Philip Schubert/Flickr
Wittenoom in 1962.
Photo credit:Philip Schubert/Flickr
Photo credit:Michael Theis/Flickr
Wittenooms name deleted from road signs.
Photo credit:Jurriaan Persyn/Flickr
State government warning sign near the entrance to Wittenoom.
Photo credit:Five Years/Wikimedia
Mine tailings near Wittenoom.
Photo credit:Five Years/Wikimedia
Photo credit:Five Years/Wikimedia
Sources:Wikipedia/www.watoday.com.au/Mental Floss/www.asbestosdiseases.org.au
